Far too often women are the victims of attack when they don’t need to be.  Learning a few self defense tactics can save the day.  Even just by reading this you are getting a little edge on your attacker.  It is doubtful he is at home reading “How to attack women.”

The most effective technique you can employ is not to get attacked at all.  You are most vulnerable when you are on the move, like going to your car.  Stay within sight of people as much as possible.  Your attacker wants you to be alone.  If you are being attacked, don’t let him force you into your car (throw your keys if you have too) or around the corner of the building.  Women will often notice that they are being targeted before an attack.  If so keep an object between you and him weather it is a car or bench or anything that could slow him down.  Just slowing him down might be enough to get him to leave as he only has a small window to work in.

If it appears the attack is imminent then you need to quickly review your options.  Is screaming or making noise going to help?  Often times it is pointless so it is time for a weapon.  Of the personal non-lethal options the stun gun is the most effective as in makes that intimidating crackling. You don’t have something like that?  It is time to improvise.  An ink pen or keys to the eye is devastating.  If you are grabbed from behind and you’re wearing heels you have a great weapon.  Even if the heel is ½ inch square on the bottom your 135 pound weight becomes 540 pounds with all your weight on it.  If the heels are ¼ inch it goes up to 2100 lbs.  Ouch!

You just used one of the 3 strongest part of or body to strike with.  The other two are you elbows and the ball of you palm.  Use them or go after his weakest targets.  You already got one but there is still the groin, harder to hit than it sounds, his trachea, and his face.  Eye gouging is great too.  If he gets his hands around your neck there is one defense move you need to know; turn your head toward your shoulder.  This will stop him from crushing your trachea. Also try to get control of his hands.  Just by holding his wrist you have severely limited what he can do.  He would find it hard to draw and use his weapon, you would limit his ability to hit you, and make it very hard to rape you.  Remember that time is on your side.  He has to work quickly or get caught and your screams will make this time seem like hours to him.

A short article is not a replacement for a good self defense class but it will give you a start and put you in the right mind set.  In the class you have an opportunity to apply what you learn.  Also, look into a non-lethal self defense device. A 135 pound woman armed with pepper spray and 500,000 volts is going to be able to take any man.  Both the stun gun can be the size of a marker.  Big things can come in little packages.